


i'll take the lead

by assahi



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Boys In Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Side EnnoNoya, nervous boys finally confess after nearly 2 years: the drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-10
Updated: 2016-09-10
Packaged: 2018-08-13 11:50:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,055
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7975783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/assahi/pseuds/assahi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>But he's getting a little discouraged as of late, because for all the jokes they share and the touches Ryuu has placed on him, it's all so… <i>friendly</i>. Friends is good, friends is great; Shouyou has never been friends with someone as cool as Tanaka. But it's nothing more. Never anything more; in fact, lately Tanaka seems to be more controlled than he ever has been around him. He notices, from the corner of his eyes, Tanaka reaching a hand out to him – to pat his head or to hold his hand or to grab him in some way he's not sure. He doesn't care what it is, because he <i>wants</i> Tanaka to touch him, but then he jumps and looks at his hand as if it's betrayed him and drops it. Shouyou will look at him, then, and catch him looking at him as if he's the sun: untouchable and unattainable.<br/>(Or: The one where Hinata and Tanaka finally confess after almost two years.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	i'll take the lead

**Author's Note:**

> idk,.,,,, i'm not too sure about this one, feels a little rushed so i'm sorry if it reads like that, but i wanted to complete a lil fic before i move out to uni!!!  
> i also wanted to explore some headcanons, try and write some hinata pov (i hope you guys think i've done ok!! i'm not too sure about it......) and ask some questions: why is all the tanahina i ever write tooth rotting fluff? why is everything in this fic like 100% cheese? why have i never written any angst for anything ever? this will be changed soon Believe Me >:)  
> talk to me on [tumblr!!!!](http://rvuunosuke.tumblr.com)

Tanaka is his soulmate, he's pretty sure.

Sometimes he wishes he had some kind of indicator – a clock on his wrist that would hit zero, or his name inked somewhere on his body – but mostly, he doesn't because he doesn't need the confirmation because he _knows._ He might have some flaws, but Hinata Shouyou definitely holds his beliefs high; every word he speaks is the truth, even if it is his truth, conviction heavily coating every innocent word that trips out of his somewhat clumsy mouth.

He even tries to let Tanaka know, sometimes. Simple words, nothing fancy, light things like “ _you're so awesome!_ ” after a truly fearsome spike that made his toes vibrate in their gym shoes at the impact, or a cheeky “you know, you're my _favourite_ senpai…” after he buys him a meat bun, or gives him some life advice or something.

Once, he even told him, “I like you so much, Tanaka-senpai!” And Ryuu had just chuckled and nodded and said something teasing in response, and he doesn't think it quite got across what he was trying to say.

He would give anything for Ryuu to know how he feels without the awkward confession part. Anything, because there is a lot Ryuu does for him that make him like him a little bit more each time something happens.

He buys him meat buns after practice as third year vice captain, to make up for the ones they missed after Daichi graduated. He encourages every wicked spike that he slams down into their opponents court without fail, even if it's nothing more than a straight, because he knows how important it is to him. He tells him things, things like “you're gonna be the Ace after I graduate, you know,” and laughs when he says, “I'll come cheer you on in every one of your games!” and he looks so happy and sounds so sincere that Hinata's stomach erupts into butterflies even as he joins in.

He ruffles Hinata's hair after a strenuous practice and values comforting Hinata over himself after a bitter defeat and assures him with words and gentle touches on his shoulder, in his hair, and he makes Hinata so happy that he just wants to run a marathon to burn off all the excess energy it gives him. It makes him want to scream and shout and laugh and jump.

Sometimes he does.

But he's getting a little discouraged as of late, because for all the jokes they share and the touches Ryuu has placed on him, it's all so… _friendly._ Friends is good, friends is _great;_ Shouyou has never been friends with someone as cool as Tanaka. But it's nothing more. Never anything more; in fact, lately Tanaka seems to be more controlled than he ever has been around him. He notices, from the corner of his eyes, Tanaka reaching a hand out to him – to pat his head or to hold his hand or to grab him in some way he's not sure. He doesn't care what it is, because he _wants_ Tanaka to touch him, but then he jumps and looks at his hand as if it's betrayed him and drops it. Shouyou will look at him, then, and catch him looking at him as if he's the sun: untouchable and unattainable.

It's a sad look.

He wouldn't pick up on something so small with anyone else – everyone knows he's not exactly the most observant person around, details big and small can often walk under his nose and he'd be none the wiser – but this isn't anyone else, this is his soulmate and he's always watching him and possibly ogling him and he's not sure what it all means.

Hinata thinks he's given more than enough signs to show that he likes Ryuu way more than is normal for a kouhai to like his senpai - even for a friend to like another friend. Apart from the halted touches, Ryuu has shown absolutely nothing in the way of reciprocation, and it's making Hinata's insides shrivel a little. It makes images fly into his head: Ryuu holding a hand that is not his, Ryuu planning a surprise date for someone that is not him, Ryuu pressing his lips against a pair that aren't his own.

He _hates_ it. It haunts him at night, in his sleep, makes him more restless than usual as dark bags form under his eyes, and it doesn't help because when he steps into the clubroom, Tanaka's eyes wrinkle in concern. He says, "Hinata, you okay? Getting enough sleep?"

And Hinata laughs and says something like, "Yes, of course!" Followed up by something cheeky, "Wow, so the delinquent label really isn't true, is it, Tanaka-senpai... Tanaka- _softie,_ " And Tanaka yelps indignantly, his eyebrows pulled down angrily over eyes that sparkle with amusement.

He aims a shoe at him, jokes, "I'm the Vice Captain, I could put you on clean-up duty with Ennoshita's permission, you little brat!" and the fireworks burst in his stomach as he laughs and the images come back ten-fold in the night and the whole circle repeats itself the next day.

Hinata is not, by any means, an _impatient_ person. It's not really he's too excited to get things started to wait (although he is), more that he's too excitable to sit by and let something so easily fixable remain broken. It stands to reason that he should have just blurted it out the second he realised just how much he cared for Ryuu, but that hasn't happened.

Hinata may not be the kind to sit by and feel uncomfortable, but romance is something completely new to him. He feels as though he's standing at the edge of the ocean and he hasn't been taught how to swim; he's waiting for someone to throw him in right into deep and terrifying waters and flail around and it scares him to think he might not be able to keep his head above water.

He feels as though if he messes up this friendship with Ryuu, he'll drown.

Ever since first year, he's been the one to give him advice, to calm him down before a game, or to hype him back up after a defeat. Tanaka was the first one to believe in him - _really_ believe; the first time they played as a team, Tanaka had laughed at a quick and said to Daichi, "I _told_ you my money was on the little guy!"

Shouyou had been so honored that Tanaka would have placed a bet on him that he didn't even take offense to the small jab.

Occasionally, he'd worry, only a little, that he was letting Tanaka down with how _slowly_ he felt he was progressing (which really doesn't mean much when Hinata is someone who constantly runs at 100 miles per hour), and then Ryuu would say something at just the right time, in just the right way, and quash that niggle of doubt immediately. The time after he'd crashed a training camp in his first year, when he'd expected _another_ lecture, this time from someone new, all Tanaka did was chuckle at his determination, seemingly in total admiration, and just told him not to rush things.

"They'll come," He'd said. No hesitation, just pure conviction, because he had complete faith in him that he'd grow into something amazing.

Honestly, no one else has ever believed in him so wholeheartedly, with every inch of their soul; even Daichi had had his doubts in some moments. Tanaka is the only one who's stood there the whole time with a knowing smile and self-assured words of encouragement.

If Hinata ruined that with a poorly timed confession, he's not quite sure how he'd cope. He doesn't really want to find out, so he keeps quiet about it.

And then they kiss.

-

It happens at a training camp, as things generally tend to, apparently; it's their second time at this one, with Nekoma and Fukurodani constantly whipping their asses into shape. They're all piled into Nekoma's room, sitting in a rather cramped circle at Noya's request (see: demand). Shouyou goes to sit between Kenma and Akaashi, the respective captains of their own teams now, with Kuroo and Bokuto off doing their scholarships in volleyball at university. He opens his mouth in greeting, ready to have a proper catch-up, but Noya hollers, way too loudly for the size of the room, " _Hinata Shouyou, sit over here!_ "

He's patting the space next to him, wedged between him and Tanaka. He shoots Kenma a quick glance, the only person to know about his little crush, who shrugs and gives him a little smile and a nod, making Hinata crawl on his hands and knees to sit between the two. Reaching his destination, he grins, wide and radiant, up at Tanaka. "Hey!"

There's a little pause, and then a slightly strained smile, "Hey, Hinata!" He looks like he might say something else, but then his gaze flickers up to Nishinoya, who has stood up and thrown his arms wide. Clutched in his left hand is an empty sake bottle, and Hinata hears a quiet mumble of, "Oh, _shit-_ " before everyone quietens down to listen to Nishinoya.

"Gentlemen and dudes!" He announces, smirking in a self satisfied way; from across the circle, Hinata can see Ennoshita has taken up residence next to Kenma, and his captain suddenly looks very worried. "Thank you for doing as I so humbly asked–"

"You made us," Ennoshita points out.

Nishinoya begins to talk louder. "As I _so humbly asked–_ "

"You _made_ -"

Noya huffs, his smirk dying to an exasperated scowl. "Listen, Chikara, don't be a hater, okay? You're the Captain, you're supposed to support us and encourage us. With that in mind, encourage the circle."

Ennoshita doesn't say anything, but his expression says _suffering._

" _Anyway_!" Nishinoya continues, waving the sake bottle high like an empty trophy, "Onto the main event of the evening... _Spin the bottle._ "

He smirks deviously, his eyes glinting with promises of untold plans - probably pranks. Yamamoto hollers, punching the air in victory, and Hinata is surprised not to hear the boy next to him join in; in fact, he remains completely silent and stone-faced. Inuoka beams from across the circle, looking pretty happy with this turn of events. Even Lev looks a little bit excited at the idea.

Kenma says, "I'm out."

"Seconded," Akaashi agrees, and they both stand, offer a parting word and a kind wave. A few others follow them, probably to go to Fukurodani's room while the rest of them mess around. When the clambering to leave ease off, Nishinoya beams.

"Okay, team! Seeing as this was _my_ idea, I control the bottle."

He ignores the shouts of protests and the "proper rules" and sets the bottle in the middle of the floor. Everyone grows silent, including Hinata, who joins the rest of them in with staring at it as if it's about to up and start line dancing. He actually jumps a little when Nishinoya sets a hand on it, twisting his wrist and flicking and watching as it slows to a stop, pointing perfectly at Ennoshita. Noya smirks, but remains quiet as he spins the bottle again. He's focusing so intently that it reminds Hinata of him on the court, just quiet concentration and furious determination. Just as it's making Hinata dizzy to watch, it loses speed, slowing and slowing and slowing until it points squarely at Nishinoya.

He waggles his eyebrows. "Ooh, how about it, Captain?"

Ennoshita hauls himself up to his knees to crawl to lean over the bottle. "You planned that-" He begins, and Nishinoya shuts him up with a kiss that looks positively bruising.

Hinata had expected, maybe foolishly, the kisses in this game to be chaste, like the ones he gives his sister when she's had a nightmare, but he watches with a kind of rapt fascination as he watches a kiss that looks equal parts sloppy and passionate, drool dribbling down Ennoshita's chin as Nishinoya pulls his bottom lip back with his own teeth. They break apart after that, Noya wearing a pleased smirk as Ennoshita wipes the liquid off with the back of his hand. "You're so _gross,_ " he mutters, but Hinata doesn't miss the pleased little smile that graces his face when he returns to his position on the floor, and when he looks to his right, Nishinoya even looks a little pink in the cheeks.

"Next up!" He announces in a _batter up!_ sort of tone. He spins it just as the shiver of a horrible realisation creeps up his spine, from the small of his back to the tip of his neck: He could lose his first kiss here.

Hinata doesn't think things through, and often throws himself into something for the possibility of a fun outcome, but he's just thought about it and the bottle is slowing and firsts are very important to Hinata because everything is very important to Hinata and the bottle is _crawling_ and Shouyou realises just as the bottle stops to point at him that the only person he wants to give his first kiss to is sitting right beside him and doing a very, very good job of avoiding his eyes as he stares at the bottle in as much horror as Hinata feels.

"I don't–" Hinata starts quietly, but he's silenced by another flick of Nishinoya's wrist on the bottle, and by the feeling of a hand curling around his bicep.

He looks up at Tanaka in shock - he _touched_ him, didn't err and um over it like he's been doing lately - and there's a gentle look in his eyes that Hinata has never seen before, one that's fully directed at him, one that makes him feel very... very _full._ Full of emotion, full of happiness. The rest of the room melts down to just these two, the way it usually does with Tanaka. Whenever Ryuu shoots a smile at him, Hinata feels his heart flutter and just for a minute, forgets the rest of the world - the anxieties and stresses he has over his volleyball career, over his feelings, over the prospect of losing something to _close_ to him–

Tanaka tells him, "You don't have to if–"

" _Ryuu!_ "

Nishinoya's yell jolts the two of them out of their little bubble, and Tanaka looks at the libero with an expression Hinata can only call a _scowl._ He's wondering why Ryuu's being so surly until Noya says, voice bursting with a vicious kind of glee, "It's you! You and Shouyou!"

Hinata jumps and stares at the bottle, which is now pointing at Tanaka's knee; he'd been so invested in Tanaka and absorbed by a simple touch that he hadn't even noticed the silence that followed after Noya spun it again. The gears turn in his head, and then he lights up as he looks at his partner. He doesn't say anything, although he's thinking _oh man I'm so glad it's you!_ mainly because he's just completely caught off guard, totally exhilarated just from the _prospect_ of kissing Tanaka, even if it's just for a game, Ryuu will finally touch him, something more than friendly-

He sucks in a breath as he meets Tanaka's gaze, forced to by the way one of Ryuu's surprisingly gentle hands come to rest on the side of Hinata's neck, his thumb leaving heat trails where it strokes softly, soothing his rapidly beating heart. He can't feel the eyes of anyone else on him, which they surely must be; they've melted back into their little bubble, the way they always seem to when they're staring at each other, which he's suddenly sure is way more often than he stares at anyone else, or Ryuu stares at anyone else, and it sparks a little bit of hope in his already optimistic heart. His eyes start to flutter shut, simply out of instinct than wanting to. He doesn't really, he wants to see every reaction, but in the movies they always close their eyes, don't they? He starts feeling a little foolish until he just stops feeling everything other than the words _oh my god oh my god oh my god_ as he feels Tanaka's breath fan over his face - sweep soft over his lips. Hinata can't help it; his tongue darts out to sweep his lips, anticipation heavy in his stomach.

But then there is no breath across him and he feels the presence moves away - feels the cold rush in to freeze the vacant spot on his neck where Tanaka's hand previously was. Confusion twists in his gut, and when he opens his eyes Ryuu is clambering up to his feet. His blush spreads all the way from his cheeks to down his neck and the rest is hidden by his shirt. Confusion sours into nausea, teeth catching between his lips at the same time Nishinoya asks, "Ryuu?"

The mentioned boy looks pained, fingertips idly running up his other arm. "I- I'm- I can't, I'm... tired."

Hinata almost wants to scream with how _disappointed_ he is in someone he looks up and holds in such high regard can come up with that pitiful excuse for not wanting to kiss him. He feels breathless, and not in the good way: he feels absolutely winded with rejection as he has to watch his crush excuse himself from doing a game which doesn't really mean anything, and maybe he'd been pinning his hopes on something that his friend feels so disgusted by that he fooled himself into thinking, for just a moment, Tanaka liked him just as much as he likes Tanaka.

But maybe he really does just view him as a kid brother.

He keeps his eyes cast down at his fingers as Ryuu leaves the room, not bothering to see if he glances back at him or not. Either way, he thinks his heart will hurt.

-

Things get weird after their almost-kiss.

Tanaka doesn't avoid him. The amount of time together, he literally can't. He's his vice captain, and the person who practices with him second most besides Kageyama, and the person who praises him and gives him meat buns at the end of the day and, on occasion, walks him a little way home. So no, there's no avoiding.

There's an immense feeling of _loss,_ though, and at first, Hinata can't quite put his finger on it.

Maybe it's the way that Tanaka's hands don't raise to him any more, even when he's not looking. In fact, even his _eyes_ don't linger on him for any length of time on the suddenly very off chance that Tanaka glances in his direction. His one on one practice time is all of a sudden very sparse, the Vice Captain focusing more on the first years and their receives, or messing around with Noya rather than helping Hinata hone a straight spike. His praise is still there, but rather than the overly enthusiastic and roaring praise he's used to from him (" _Way to go, Hinata, that was totally awesome, I'm so proud, I've taught you so well!!"_ ), it's more reserved, more something he feels is said out of necessity (" _Nice one, Hinata._ "). Whenever they're all walking home together, rather than lingering with Hinata and having a few jokes and teasing jabs on his height, he finds that Tanaka's attention is occupied by someone - _anyone_ \- else, even when Hinata tries to start up some conversation with him.

Maybe it's the fact that Tanaka's attention, usually so invested on solely him, is now focused on anyone _but_ him, and there's nothing that could have set this up except for the fact they'd almost kissed. Even _that_ is confusing, because if Tanaka didn't want to kiss him he doesn't see anything that would make him distance himself to this extent.

Then he realises that Ryuu has probably figured out just how much it would mean to Hinata if it had happened, realised how much Shouyou _likes_ him and freaked out.

With that being the scenario in his mind, Hinata goes about trying to fix things. He doesn't want to lose Ryuu, platonic or otherwise, and his heart seems to fill up with a little bit of lead every time his friend seems to ignore him, or divert his attention, or choose someone else over him, until he gets to the end of the day and his heart is so heavy it rests under his heel every day he returns without Ryuu there to walk him home. He steps down and feels it burst.

He begins to get frantic, every day thinking more of the almost-touches that he sort of misses now they're gone, the feeling of Tanaka's breath dancing over his lips, of feeling the heat of the other boy's lips radiate onto his, of the harsh rejection that followed a kiss that he thought would have been a fairytale start. He just wants to know why, and his resolve not to tell him is weakening every day with each thought that maybe the thing he fought so hard to keep, he's already lost anyway.

This urgent feeling mixed with the insistent thoughts that beat off of every wall in his head is what leads him to blurt out, in the middle of getting changed in the clubroom, right in front of _everyone,_ "Tanaka, why won't you touch me?"

The light chatter dies immediately, and he feels his face heat up even as he keeps his gaze firmly on Tanaka. He's standing halfway out of his school trousers, slowly turning around to face Hinata, mouth wide open and eyebrows raised high.

"Uh," Tsukishima says, and even he's a little too shocked to form some kind of snarky quip. If Hinata wasn't so focused and determined on getting an answer, he'd have been proud of himself. He knows Tanaka would too, would have joined Hinata in absolutely ripping the piss out of him if it was in any other (normal) situation.

But it's not a normal situation, and it's not between anyone else; it's between him and his soulmate, staring at each other, one determined and stubborn, one shocked and nervous. Their teammates just look on, stunned, the first years' eyes wide and intently focused until Yamaguchi breaks the tension and tries to help Hinata out by saying, "Okay, first years, lets go! Let's go practice some serves, okay?"

Quickly following his lead, Ennoshita ushers the rest of the third years out as well as Kageyama and Tsukishima, hands pressed to the small of their backs as he literally shoves them, albeit gently, from the room.

The door clicking behind them doesn't dispel the tension, or the bizarre way they're just staring at each other, both seemingly waiting for the other to say something.

But Shouyou was the one that asked him a question, and it's obvious that Ryuu heard it, and if he's being _totally_ honest he's a little too embarrassed at the abruptness of his own question that he doesn't want to consciously repeat it.

Finally, Tanaka starts to step into his gym shorts, breaking his gaze away from Hinata's as it hits him just how odd this situation has become. "What are you saying?"

His fingers start to fiddle with the hem of his shirt, cheeks reddening, all too aware of exactly what he'd just said, and how it'd sounded. "You won't, um... you won't touch me."

"Should I be?"

Hinata pauses, glances at his fingers and then back up at him. "I mean... you kept reaching out to me. Then you'd stop yourself."

Tanaka stops again, shorts dropping around his ankles as his fingers match his facial expression and go slack. He has another full body blush on again, starting from his cheeks and spreading to the starts of his shoulders. Hinata would call it adorable if he wasn't equal parts embarrassed and curious.

Tanaka says, "Ah."

"And then after the training camp, after spin the bottle... Everything's different." Hinata frowns, bottom lip jutting out in a little pout. He sees Ryuu goes to argue and quickly presses, "You don't even look at me any more."

It feels a little hypocritical to say that as he flickers his gaze to stare at his shoes rather than focus on him, but fear of rejection washes over him like a wave, and leaves him just as cold.

Seconds pass, and then Ryuu sighs and pulls his shorts up, sitting down on a chair. "It's not that, Hinata, okay? It's not you. It's..." His face contorts, unease prominent on his face as he struggles to find the words to explain this properly. It smooths a little when he finds them, sitting a bit straighter as he begins, "You know, Nishinoya is really good with that sort of stuff... if he concentrates real hard, he can flick the bottle to land where he wants it to."

Hinata remembers the intense look of concentration the libero had displayed that night, similar to one he'd only ever seen on the court, and nods.

"And he... he... he _wanted_ me to kiss you." He looks pained as he looks back up at him, pausing.

"...Okay..." He supplies helpfully, still at a complete loss.

"Because I..." Hinata has never heard Tanaka stutter and pause so much. He almost seems _shy,_ which is not a label Hinata would have applied to him in any other situation.

"Because I..." Tanaka looks off to the side, voice dropping and mumbling the end of his sentence before clearing his throat and saying, loudly to compensate, "Like you."

Hinata blinks, breathes in, blinks again. The silence prompts Tanaka to hurry, "and I don't expect anything from you, you know? And Noya knew about it and he had this stupid idea that you felt the same and wouldn't take no for an answer and I just- I didn't want to take advantage of you or anything, I didn't want to push my feelings onto you and make you think you had to because- because you think of me as an older brother and I just needed to get over those feelings and needed distance but I couldn't tell you without, you know, freaking you out-"

"I'm not freaked out," Hinata blurts, words wispy and breathless as Ryuu's increasingly fast words begin to click together in his head, "I'm not." His lips begin to pull upwards, absolute wonder in his gaze, reeling with the turn of events that has just taken place, "I like you too!"

Tanaka pauses.

Freezes, really.

Hinata says, "I don't think of you as my big brother, silly! You make my heart all... _gwah,_ you know?"

Tanaka does not look like he knows, and Shouyou sighs with frustration at once again not being able to get his point across. "You do so much for me! You make me so happy, Ryuu, like, I don't know, I could spike the sun! I don't know. I've never done this before, so maybe I sound really stupid. You're the one who's helped me developed so much, and who's always had faith in me no matter what, and just... always focused your attention on me. No one's ever put me first, not like you have." He must look as breathless as he feels, eyes wide and earnest as he takes a step towards him, "Being around you makes my heart smile."

Ryuu is flushed, once again. "I- Really?"

"Absolutely," Without hesitation, "You're my soulmate," Hinata says simply, and Tanaka makes an _urk_ noise that sounds like all of the air in his lungs has been punched out of him.

"H-H-How can you say something like that so casually?!" He demands as his face lights up once again, both in happiness and a sheer flush which makes Hinata giggle, amazed at how quickly things can go back to normal.

He says, "Well, don't you think so? Don't you think so..." He stops himself from smirking, landing the killing blow, " _Tanaka-senpai._ "

Tanaka's face goes absolutely blank except the way his jaw falls, staring at him as the gears in his head turn and clunk and probably just try to figure out _what the fuck exactly just happened._ The air seems to still, and he has to bite his lip to ward off the giggles that threaten to rip from his chest, stick in his throat.

"You have..." Tanaka starts when he seems to begin breathing again, although his voice sounds as though someone is clutching his throat tightly, "way too much power this way."

Shouyou just smiles widely, beams as his eyes crinkle shut. When he opens them again, he watches Ryuu move toward him with no hint of hesitation, one hand coming to rest on his neck like it had at the training camp. It thrills him. He hadn't known how much he'd missed the simple gesture until right this second. Ryuu's other hand slides home into his own, and he has that tender gaze in his eyes again that make him feel so full, his heart no longer weighed down and rather full to bursting with the feeling of being adored. He lets his grin shut his eyes again, thinking he could stand here forever in a sweaty club room with a person that makes him the strongest version of himself, with someone who makes him want to be the best he possibly can be. The feeling multiplies tenfold when Tanaka says, gentle, "But I do think so."

His heart thrums steadily against his ribcage. "So, can I have that kiss now?"

Tanaka laughs and his heart jumps upwards to match his lips. "Our first kiss is going to be much more special than from a game of spin the bottle." He says - promises - vows. A kiss, he'll really kiss him, he'll really _love_ him!

And he says as much, says, "Oh, wow, you'll really kiss me, huh!"

Tanaka grins. "Maybe you should kiss me." Perhaps it wasn't meant as a challenge, but Hinata grins too, ferocious as his eyes glint, and he drags Ryuu down to press a firm kiss to his lips.

-

(He misses and splits his own lip open, but, he supposes, hand grasping Ryuu's as the boy dies from laughter, the sound echoing into his own mouth, that maybe he's okay with playing the leader sometimes.)

**Author's Note:**

> again, as always, talk to me on [tumblr!!!!](http://rvuunosuke.tumblr.com) and also please leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed because it honestly means the world to me!!! also thank you so much for the wonderful support i want to remember received, i honestly feel overwhelmed because everyone has been so sweet about it which really boosted my confidence!!! thank you so much!  
> Next up (when i have the time!): TanaHina delinquent AU (delinquent!Tanaka and Pastel!Hinata) or TanaHina zombie apocalypse AU???? idk but i've been working pretty solidly at the both of those, i would have posted them first but they're both much longer than anticipated so…  
> anyway! a maaaaaaaassive HC i have is that ryuu will not confess first under any circumstances because he doesn't want to take advantage of their senpai/kouhai relationship. a result of this is that tanaka is actually so nervous doing coupley things with hinata at first, especially physical things!


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